Controlling apparatus for water-heaters.



I R. G. FRAM-PTON. CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR WATER HEATERS.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.12, 1908.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1'.

t J W J R. G. FRAMPTON.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR WATER HEATERS.

- APPLICATION FILED OUT. 12, 1908. 973,647, Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

REYNOLDS C. FBAlMIPTON,= OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR WATER-HEATERS.

, Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

Application filed October 12, Seria1 No.f457, 882.

Toell whom it may concern: Be it. known that I, ItnY oLns G. FRAMP- TON, a citizen of the Uiiited States, residing at Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented -certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Apparatus for Water-Heaters, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to means for controlling the flow of-gas for water heaters and particularly to means of this character controlled by the temperature of the water. The invention has for its principal objects;

the provision of an improved controlling means of the character specified which will permit the rapid heating of the water until" a predetermined temperature is attained at which time the gas is entirely out off; theprovision of an improved controlling device which will obviate all danger of explosions due to over-heating the water and whichrequires no pilot light; and the provision of a thermostat regulating means which will increase the economy of 0 eration of the heater. One embodiment o the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein 1 F igure 1 is a front elevation of the heater showingtheapplication of the controlling means and the gas and waterpiping,

Figure 2 isa detail front elevation of the controllin means with the casing of the gas valve bro en away, and

Figure 3 is a partial-section and partial side elevation, the section being taken on the line III-III of Fig.- 2.

Referring first to the general arrangement of parts as shown ilI1'-F1g. 1, 1 is the heater tank-which ma be of any a roved construction, 2 is t eheater provi ed with the usual gas burners, 3 is the thermostatic con trollin means wherein the invention .par-

ticular y resides,4 is the as valve controlled by the thermostat, 5 is t e inlet pipe to the gasvalve, 6 is the pipe'leading'from the gas valve to the burners in the heater 2,7 is the cold water inlet to the tank, 8 is a pipe for operated valve in the gas passage normally spring held shut, a catch for holding the valve in open position, and a thermostat extending into the heater and connected so as to trip the catch when the water reaches a predetermined temperature. -In operation the valve is manually pulled open and engaged by the catch, which catch maintains it in this position until operated by the thermostat, at which time the gas is entirely shut ofl'.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3 which show in detail the-construction of the controlling means, it will be noted that the valve 4 is provided with a disk 12 normally held closed by means of the spring 13, and that thestem 14 of thislvalve is mounted for reciprocation in the casing and has its front end extended into the casing of the controllin mechanism 3, (Figure 3). This inner -en of the valve stem 14 is adapted to be engaged by a catch 15, and when so engaged the valve is held open as illustrated in Fig ure 2. The catch 15 is pivotally mounted upon the end of a lever 16, and is normally held in theposition indicated in Figure 3 by means of the spring 17 When in this position the shoulder 18 of the catch engages positively with the side of the lever in the manner illustrated. The lever 16 is pivoted at 19 in the casingand is provided with an adjusting screw 20 bearing against the end of the second lever 21. This lever 21 is pivoted in the casingat 22 and is provided'with a bearing. screw 23, which takes against the thermostat pin 24. The pin 24 is carried by the brass end member 25 which engages the orcelain rod 26 at its inner end. 4 Theporceam rod 26 takes against the end of the copper tube 27 at itsrear end in a manner well ers in the heater 2 lighted. The parts remain'in the osition indicated in Figures 2 and 3 until the water in the reservoir surroundin the tube 27 is heated to apredetermine rtemper'aturqwhich temperature is sufficient to expand the-tube 27 so that the levers 21 and 16 move far enou h to the right to carry the catch 15 past t e end of the valve stem 14 thus allowin the valve disk to snap shut entirely cuttin off the flow of the gas to the burners. water in the heater cools or is drawn off and replaced by cold water, all of the parts indicated in Figures 2 and 3 return to the position illustrated with the eXce tion of the valve stem and the parts carrie thereby and the catch 15, which catch is of course prevented from assuming the position illustrated in Fi ure 3 by reason of its engagement with the side of the stem which projects past the nose of the catch. The device is therefore ready for setting for another operation, and to accomplish this it is, only necessary to grasp the handle on the end of the valve stem and pull it out to the position indicated in Figures 2 and 3, after which the o eration above described may be repeated It will be apparent from the foregoing that all dan r of an explosion where this device is us is avoided, as it is impossible to turn on the gas without pulling out the valve disk 12, and this disk is permitted to close automatically when the water in the reservoir reaches a predetermined temperature. It will also be noted that the gas is turned on full until the disk closes automatically, there being no gradual closing of the valve as is the case where .the valve stem is connected so that the thermostat moves the disk in both directions. The heating of the desired quantity of water is therefore more rapidly accomplished than in the case where thermostats are used which gradually close off the valve as the water is heated "more and more, the flow of gas at w the latter portion of the heating in such case being very small, and it has been found that the economy in heating is much eater where a body of water is heated rapid y than where heated slowlyf It will also be seen that no pilot light is necessary, as the closure of the valve is complete, and there is no minimumfiow of gas to be provided for.

Another advantage incident-to. running the burners at full instead of at-varying capacity, is due to the fact that the mixture of air and gas may be arran ed so as to secure perfect combustion, and al danger of sooting the burners and of the flame flashing -back and burning inside the burners is avoided. Where the flow of gas is variable, as with the gradually closing thermostat,

the. proportion of gas to air is constantly changing, reventing perfect combustion with a resu ting sooting of the burners and uneconomical operation. If desired the aden thev -is to be heatedto the desired temperature.

operating means be so arranged that the manually operated valve is maintained in full open position after manual setting until the water in the reservoir reaches a predetermined temperature, at which time. the valve is entirely closed and operative connection between the valve and thermostat discontinued so that the valve is not opened by the further operation of the thermostat.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis the following i 1. In a storage water heater, the combination with a reservoir and gas heating means therefor, of a thermostat operated by the water in the reservoir, a valve, means exerting yielding pressure at all times to close the valve, a yielding catch adapted to move automatically into operative engagement with the valve when the valve is manually moved to open position, and the temperature of the water in the heater is below a predetermined point and operative connections from the thermostat to the catch whereby the catch is tripped to permit the valve to close when the water in the reservoir reaches a predetermined temperature.

2. The combination with a thermostatic controlling means and a gas valve, of yielding means bearing continuously upon the valve to move it to closed position, a yielding catch adapted to move automatically into operative engagement with the valve when the valve is moved to open osition, and restrained by the valve from sutih movement when the valve is closed, and a connection between the thermostatic controlling means and the catch whereby the catch is moved by the thermostatic controlling means to release the valve and permit the yielding means to move it to close osition.

3. In a storage water heater, t e combination with a reservoir and gas heatin means therefor, of a thermostat operated by the water in the reservoir, a manually operable valve for controlling the fiow of as to the heating means, a spring for clos- 1 voir reaches a predetermined temperature. l0"

\ valve, a catch against movement in one direction and no 1 mally yieldingly held against movement in the reverse direction in position to prevent .the closing of the valve when it is manually olpened, and operating connections from the t ermostatto the movable member whereby the catch portion is tripped to permit the valve to close when the water in the reser 4. In a storage water heater, the combination with a reservoir and gas heating means therefor of a thermostat operated by the water in the reservoir, a manually operable valve for controlling'the flow of gas to the heating means a spring for closing. the

tor the valve normally ieldingly held so as to move forward an pre-' connections between the thermostat and the valve interrupted, until the valve 'is again manually set.

In .testlmony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two $11 "s cribing. witnesses. Y

REYNOLDS G. FRAMPTON.

Witnesses:

onnme BELLINGER, ARGHWORTH MARTIN. 

